The Pale One
by Erin Ashlyn
Summary: Set during HBP.  Maybe she needs him.  When Hermione realizes that something's gone that has always been there, she wants it back. Oneshot DMHG


Disclaimer: I don't own harry potter or anything affiliated with Harry Potter, it belongs to J.K. Rowling

The first thing she ever noticed about him was how incredibly pale he was. She was sure everyone had the same reaction when they first saw him, but unlike so many others once she knew who he was that characteristic was never lost. At first she never spoke to him because of school, who had time for conversation when they were eleven years behind in the wizard world? After experiencing the new development with Ron and Harry called friendship, she had nothing to say to him, after all he was her friends enemy and why would she wish to jeopardize that?

But she watched him when she could.

It wasn't like she wanted to, but the boy was just second to her in all classes. She never knew how, he never took notes, she never saw him raise his hand to answer the professors questions and she never saw him in the library studying. In fact the only class she ever heard him try in was potions, something that irked her to no end, as due to Snape's favoritism she was barely keeping her higher score.

And she listened for him.

Every time she raised her hand, and every time she opened her mouth she heard him snicker. Of course this just got worse when she started being friends with the boys, suddenly he was on her radar outside of the classroom. In between classes she used to be invisible. Now anytime he saw her it was a comment about her hair or teeth, a insult about her classroom behavior. Sometimes she missed being off the radar, but no, she had friends now, why would she wish to go back to loneliness?

Second year was terrible for her, the second he found out about her parents the insults rained in. There was never a time when he would see her without commenting on it. It wasn't as if she was hiding her heritage, but knowing the view a lot of wizards had on muggles, she wasn't announcing it for everyone either. When the chamber was opened and the attacks came, it seemed so coincidental. When Harry and Ron told her that he wasn't the heir, it just didn't seem right, it all added up. When she woke up from her paralysis she was shocked to hear it was Ginny, sweet little Ginny Weasley, that was behind all the attacks, albeit unconsciously.

Third year, she didn't think she would make it, she was always so tired, burdened down with the first secret from her friends, having fights with her first friends and of course so many classes. When Hagrid asked her for help with Buckbeak how could she refuse, no one else would help him and who else had the means of acquiring the extra time. So many times she just wanted to quit, especially when Harry and Ron were mad at her, but she couldn't bring herself to, she was almost finished just a couple more months then she could relax. And when the pale boy mocked her after all her hard work and all her tireless nights, she lost it. She had never been a violent person, but the satisfaction in hitting the pale boy was just as enjoyable as anything she had ever felt.

Fourth year was a whole new experience, after the mad rush of last year, coupled with the excitement of the Tournament, it didn't even feel like school anymore. Between her efforts for S.P.E.W, and her constant training with Harry, she hardly noticed the pale boy or his comments. Of course that was before he hit her with a curse to grow her teeth, but she came out on top then. Besides it wasn't as easy to erase the evidence of mortification when he was transfigured into a ferret, so in a way she felt she was even for the time. By that time Viktor had asked her out and she was much to high on that to notice many problems, especially with a pale boy. She was a wave of elation, especially during the Yule ball when EVERYONE noticed she was a girl, and from their looks, a girl who cleaned up nicely. Up until the point with Ron when they argued, she was radiating. If she noticed pale eyes in paler features she made no notice of it. And when the elation wore off with Viktor, she just wished she could be with her boys again. She was used to the taunting of one Draco Malfoy, but the glaring associated with dating a professional quidditch player was terrible. She enjoyed spending time training with Harry, even if Ron was a cloud over them. By the end of the year, she was wishing for the monotony of the school year again.

Despite the presence of one Dolores Umbridge, fifth year was too bad. The haunting figure of OWLs looming over her, becoming a prefect, as well as defending Harry to several of her housemates was exhausting on its own, coupled with bickering with Ron all the time. She was able to handle it just fine though, used to keeping a full schedule by now. Dumbledore's Army was much of a stress reliever as anything, learning how to do new spells in the comfortable environment of friends instead of professors. She had a new reason to dislike the pale boy when he joined the inquisition squad, but in the end he was just as susceptible to her acting charms as well as the next person. In hind-sight, she was quite surprised that he did fall for it, considering he just spent the last five years torturing her and she had never broken down. She was in to much pain to really understand what had happened with Sirius until it was too late. Her injury from Antonin Dolohov left her a scar from collar to naval, and brought the truth of the war to home. The death of someone she knew and loved was terrible and she could only begin to understand how Harry must be feeling.

She came back to sixth year a changed girl. The thestrals were all to real to her now. She felt as if she was in a daze, methodically doing schoolwork. It came to her one day suddenly that the pale boy hadn't said a thing to her this entire year.

So she watched him.

He was pale, even paler than normal, circles under his eyes and sunken cheeks, eyes that were always downcast, always lost in thought. She realized he was no longer second behind her in classes, he wasn't even in the top ten. The pale boy didn't even seem to react to his friends anymore. Despite her telling Harry that she was sure nothing was going on. She herself wasn't too sure. Long ago she realized that just because she didn't like someone didn't mean they were planning on destroying the world, just look how many times they blamed Snape in the past. Even so she carefully watched him, and somehow during this time she realized something.

Draco Malfoy was beautiful.

If she ever had to describe and angel, he would fit the bill perfectly. He had grown so tall, pale complexion, pale hair, which she noticed he even stopped slicking back with that disgusting gel. She refused to believe that her following him and keeping an eye out on him because after all these years she found him attractive. Despite his horrendous attitude towards her, she actually missed his comments in the hallways, it was a sense or normalcy that she had grown accustomed to over the years. She tried to think of a way to lure him into insulting her. She purposely cut in front of him in the hallway tried to be as loud as possible when around him. Much to polite to insult him out right, she try's little things, like floating things up to hit him. She can tell he's slipping, annoyance crossing his features often, but its never enough.

When she first finds out who has written 'Weasley is our king' she's ecstatic. Guilt quickly follows as she thinks of all the teasing Ron is enduring, but that is quickly erased when he becomes the 'King' and immediately starts sucking face with Ms. Lavender Brown. The halls are too quiet now, with no Ron, Harry is always buried in that potions book and Malfoy isn't still normal.

Shes in the library when she sees him in the back at a table, staring down at the grain in the wood, zoning out. A quick look around reveals the library to be abandoned. Gathering up her wand and her Gryffindor courage and proceeds to make her way to his table. He doesn't notice when she's behind him, still staring out to nowhere.

"What's the matter Malfoy? Crabbe and Goyle needed some intelligent conversation, so they sent you away?" He whips around surprised, and even more so when he realizes its her and her alone.

"Shut up Granger." He says this quietly, she's worried she's in over her head. She;s never tried to incite anger in anyone like this, its a strange feeling.

"I never took them for people who enjoy the company of rodents, but I guess they made an exception for the amazing bouncing ferret, Huh?" She has to be strong, she needs to be able to do this.

His eyes narrow, a frown forming on his face. "You don't know anything Granger, why don't you go back to your books and hide there until your precious Potter has the time to spare for you."

She takes a breath, "Or maybe the reason you're here alone is because now that Daddy's locked up nobody wants to spare any time to the poor pathetic son-"

Her back is pressed into the bookshelf faster than she can finish the sentence. His hand is on her shoulders and his eyes are blazing fire. His face is turning red in rage, and the maybe she thinks she might of taken this too far. There is no Harry, no Ron, just her and her wand. It should be enough, but she can't tear her eyes from his, can't form any spell in her head.

He shakes her, "You have no idea, just shut up! What do you know anyway, you're a pathetic mudblood, your not fit to lick my shoes." He doesn't understand her sigh at the word 'mudblood' so he continues. "You are nothing, and yet you think you can just say what you want, like you know everything and Potter and Weasley will just save you! Well they're not here now, so now what are you gonna do?'

She's shocked that he's not yelling, just saying all this in a deceptively calm voice, but she sees the fire in his eyes, and she hears sweet normalcy coming from his lips, and all she can think it that this feels so right. Disgust fills her as she realizes what shes done, what she's doing. Taunting a boy so that he will in turn taunt her, and she is enjoying it.

"Where have you been, Malfoy?" His eyes widen in surprise, shocked at the question. Trying to realize what she means, he thinks back to the last month or so, the taunting the teasing, random objects hitting him. Staring down at her he realizes what this is and backs away quickly.

"If your blood wasn't so filthy, you'd be a passable Slytherin, Mudblood" This time he notices the sparkle when he says the word. Brown eyes staring up at him, brown hair sticking out abnormally, she is so full of mud its unbelievable. Leaning forward suddenly, she captures his lips, and he is too shocked to fully comprehend that he's pushing into her and she is doing the same.

She can't believe what she is doing but it feels so right, and if this is how it feels when Ron is with Lavender, she doesn't blame him in the least. She feels filthy being pushed into the shelf again, running her hands through his pale, pale hair. Shuddering as his hands caress her sides, her hair, her back.

He feels more alive than he has this entire year. His task going slowly and without many good results. How can he care about anything other than saving his and his parents lives by completing his task successfully. All of the stress is melting away as he explores her mouth and body. Feeling how soft her hair is, how her teeth, perfectly normal teeth, are biting his lip. He can't get enough.

Slowly she starts pushing him away. They're both out of breath, red faced, and fighting not to continue. She aches for this, the rush, of kissing her enemy. She needs to leave now, or she may not leave at all. Trying to calm her breath, she straightens her clothes, gives up on her hair and simply says, "I'll see you around Malfoy." Like a arrow from a bow she shoots off picking up her bag and leaving.

The next day she's walking with the boys. Suddenly there's a shove, and she's crashing into Harry and Ron is practically snarling. When she looks up all she sees is a pale boy smirking making jokes at Ron, Harry and then finally turns calls her that name and then sweeps off.

And Hermione Granger just watches him.

A/N

Did you like it, hate it, let me know

its my first HP fan fiction, and the idea came to me literally tonight.

Just let me know how it is by way of Review

Thank you

erinashlyn


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